conley



M. R. CONLEY. APBRATUS POR DEOXIDIZING IRON oms.

l2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

No. 404,344. Patented May 28, 1889.

(No Medel.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

. M.R.G0NLEY. APPARATUS FOR DEOXIDIZNG IRON ORES.

Ne. 404,344. Patented Mey z8, 1889,

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL E. OONLEY, OE BROOKLYN, AssIeNOR To WILLIAM BELL, OE NEW YORK, N. Y. 1

APPARATUS FOR DEOXIDIZING IRON ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,344, dated May 28, 1889.

Application filed .Tune 22, 1887. Serial No. 242,095. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL R. CONLEY,

of Brooklyn, in Kings county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Deoxi- Adiziug Iron Ores, of which the following is a specification.

I will describe an apparatus embodying my improvement in detail, and then point 1o novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of an apparatus embodying my improvement, the section being taken on the plane of the dotted I5 line @c x, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is' a horizontal vertical section thereof, taken on the plane of the line y y, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation. Fig. 5 is a plan or top view. Fig. 6 is a detail view.

2o of a certain car employed therein. Fig. '7 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of part of a shaft and one of a number of stirring-teeth connected thereto employed in my improvement. Fig. 8 is a view of a scraper-handle 2 5 employed therein. Figs. 9 and l0 are sectional detail views, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of one of the retorts and a scraper combined for use therewith.

Similar letters of reference designate cor-y responding parts in all the figures.

A designates a number of retorts in which the granular iron ore is to be deoxidized. These retorts may be made of metal, and, as shown, are cylindrical. They do not rotate,

but are secured at both ends outside of the end walls of a combustion-chamber, B. As shown, there are five of these retorts; but there may be fewer orv a greater number thereof, as may be found desirable or expedi- 4o ent. The granular ore may be the natural Sea-sand or it may be ore pulverized or granulated in any convenient manner. It is to be introduced to the retorts, as shown, by means of pipes or chutes A', which pipes A' in the present example of my improvement oommunicate'with the retorts near the rear ends of the latter upon their upper sides. I prefer that the retorts shall be arranged in t-he position illustrated Inore particularly in Fig.

5o 2, whereby the pipes A' may be arranged in out the v maybe moved along upon the rails, so as to 6o bring it over any desired one of the chutes line with each other, or, in other words, in a line parallel with the rear wall of the oombustion-chamber. By this means I am enabled to successively charge each of the retorts from a hopper, C, which hopper is arranged to travel upon rails C', extending above the upper ends of the chutes A', the hopper C being provided upon its sides and near its upper end with wheels, by which it A. In the lower end of the hopper is a slide,

c., which may be operated to open the lower end of the hopper, so as to discharge the contents thereof into one of the chutes. Each of the retorts is also provided with a dischargechute,` C2. These discharge-chutes extend through the rear wall of the combustionchamber, and their lower ends are, as shown, approximately upon a level. Slides a2 at the upper ends of these discharge-chutes may be Operated to allow material-from the retorts to pass outwardly, as desired.. Each of the retorts is provided with a rotary stirrer, D, extending longitudinally and centrally through the same. The shafts of these stirrers D have bearings at their rear ends in sockets formed upon the inside of the castings forming the rear ends of the retorts and have other bearings in suitably-formed apertures in the plates forming the front ends of the retorts. Outside the front ends of the retorts,

as shown, the shafts of the stirrers have secured upon them sprocketfwheels D'.

D2 designates a sprocket-wheel receiving power from any desired source. (Not shown in the drawings.)

Ds designates a sprocket-chain extending about the sprocket-wheel D2 and also about a pulley, D4. The sprocket-wheels D' vare so arranged that the sprocket-chain D2, as it passes to and fro about the sprocket-wheels D2 and pulley D4, will engage with teeth on said sprocket-wheels D' and cause all said sprocket-wheels D', and consequently all the rotary stirrers D, to rotate in unison.

I have shown means for disengaging the sprocket-chain from any one or more of the sprocket-wheels D', as may be desirable, consisting in levers D5, fulcrumed upon the front Ioo of the combustion-chamber and having upon one of their arms downwardly-exten ding portions d, in which are journaled anti-friction rollers d. The sprocketchain D3 passes be' tween the pair of anti-friction rollers d upon cach of the levers D5. By rocking any one of the other arms of the levers D5, as shown, in a downward direction the sprocket-chain D3 will be lifted out of engagement with the sprocket-wheel D', which is adjacent to the end of the lever D5, bearing the rollers d', which is being rocked. It will therefore be seen that by disengaging the sprocket-chain from any one or more of the sprocket-wheels D only such of the stirrers as it may be desired to operate at a given time will be operated by the sprocket-chain D3. This is im portant for the reason that it is intended in practice to charge and discharge the retorts successively, so that the operation maybe continuous, the retort at the beginning of the series being charged, for instance, while that one at the end of the series is being discharged, and so on.

The shafts of the sti rrersD have secured to them stirring-teeth I), of which I have shown one upon an enlarged scale in Fig. 7. These teeth, it will be observed, are longitudinally curved and are wider at their free ends than at the ends adjacent to the shaft. They are also provided with longitudinal strengthening-ribs b. At the ends of the teeth there are formed on them horizontally-extending flanges t', through which extend transverse apertures. Plates b2, provided with ilanges corresponding to the flanges i" on the inner ends kof the teeth b and curved so as to extend about the shaft, are secured to the teeth by means of bolts Z13, extending through the apertures in the flanges z' and similar apertures in the flanges 27. This shaft may be made either solid or hollow. If made hollow it will be provided with suitable couplings upon each of its ends, whereby water maybe caused to circulate through it to cool it, if desirable.

It will be observed by an examination of Fig. 2 that the teeth b extend radially from the shaftin but three directions-namely, certain of the teeth are in line with each other, and certain of the other teeth are arranged intermediate of the teeth so in line and extend at approximate right angles thereto. It will therefore be observed that when the rotation of the shaft is stopped in such a position as that said intermediate teeth shall be vertical and above the shaft the lower portion of the retort will be free and unobstructed by any of the teeth upon the stirrer. I have shown two of the stirrers in such position in the upper two of the retorts shown in Fig. 2 This is advantageous for the reason that it admits of a scraper being introduced into the lower part of the retort for the purpose of withdrawing the material therefrom into the discharge-chutes.

I have shown each of the retort-s as provided with a scraper, c, at it-s rear end. This scraper is arranged upon the inner side of the retort and is provided with a shank, c', extending to the exterior of the retort. The portion of the shank outside the retort is screw-threaded, and when not in use engages a brace, e2. This brace has its ends bearing against the rear end of the retort. By rotating the brace the scraper may be drawn very tightly against the inner surface of the retort.

When it is desired to use the scraper, I attach thereto a scraper-handle, (illustrated in Fig. 8,) which handle is provided near one end with an internally-screw threaded socket, which may be secured onto the outer end of the shank e of the scraper. By rotating the brace c2 the scraper may be disengaged from the brace, and the scraper, together with the handle, may then be passed freely into the retort for the purpose of removing the material therefrom. 3y this arrangement of the scraper the admission of atmospheric air to the retort is obviated. Each of the retorts is also provided with an escape-pipe for gases, which may lead to a suitable chimney or elsewhere, as desired.

The combustion-chamber here shown has an arc-shaped top and parallel sides and ends. Nearer the forward end thereof is a furnace, E, which may be of any desired construction, and which arranged below the bank of retorts. Heat from the furnace passes upwardly and about the retorts, and the products of combustion are conveyed away by a suitable flue to a chimney-stack or elsewhere.

The retorts having been properly charged, the stirrers D are caused to rotate therein, and the ore is subjected to a suilicient degree of heat to remove the desired quantity of oxygen from the ore. After it has been suilif ciently treated the rotation of any desired one of the stirrers is stopped with the arms thereof in the position previously described, and the retort is discharged of its contents.

I prefer that the retorts shall be discharged into a substantially air-tight car for the purpose of preventing reoxidization of the ore by contact with atmospheric air. I have illustrated in Fig. G a-car, G, convenient for use for this purpose, and also a convenient mode for transporting the same along in front of the disch arge-chutes and away from the same. This ear is preferably made of iron, and is provided with an opening upon its upper side and nearer the center thereof, which is provided with a door, g, which may be caused to close tightly over the same to prevent the entrance of air.` It is also provided near its lower end with an opening, which may be closed, as here shown, by a conical valve, g. From this valve extends upwardly a rod, g2, which rod is connected near its upper end with one arm of a lever, g3, fulcrumed upon a frame, g4, connected to the car. Near one end of the car G is a catch, g5, beneath which the other arm of the lever g3 may be passed after the conical valve g has been brought snugly IOO IIO

ISO

to its seat, so as Vto retain the same in such position. The frame g4 is provided near its upper end with a hook, g, which hook may be engaged with a hook, gi, forming part of a hanger, Q9, which hanger is adapted to travel along upon rails of suitable construction arranged conveniently at the rear of the combu stion-ehamber. The car may thus be moved along beneath any desired one of the discharge.,- chutes of the retorts, and the door g having been open the contents of the retort may be discharged into the car, whereupon the car may be moved away beneat-h another discharge-chute, or to any convenient place where it is desired to empty the contents of the car. lever g3 is detached from the catch g5 and the conical valve g moved downwardly, whereupon the contents of the car will be discharged from the lower end thereof.

It will be seen that the lower end of the car has inclined side and end portions in order to facilitate the operation of discharging.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with a combustionchamber, of disconnected retorts arranged therein, chutes communicating with said retorts, through which material may be supplied, stirrers arranged in said retorts, gearing for causing the rotation of said stirrers, discharge-chutes for the retorts, and a furnace, said retorts being wholly closed to the products of combustion from the furnace and to atmospheric air, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a combustionchamber, of a number of fixed retorts arranged therein, chutes communicating with When the car is to be emptied, theV said retorts, through which material may be supplied, stirrers arranged in said retorts, which, when the retorts are all in use, rotate in unison, gearing for causing the rotation of said stirrers, and d isengaging devices for cans? 4. The combination, with a fixed retort, of

a scraper therefor arranged within the retort and provided with a shank extending to the exterior of the retort, a brace for engaging said shank, and an adjustable handle for engaging said shank and operating the scraper to remove material from the retort after the shank of the scraper has been disengaged from the brace, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with a combustionehamber, of a fixed retort arranged therein, a discharge-chute for said retort, and a car adapted to be moved beneath the outer end of said dischargechute and suspended from a hanger, and a rail along which said hanger may be moved to convey the car away, substantially as specified.

MICHAEL R. CONLEY.

J AMES D. GRIsWoLD, D. H. DRiscoLL. 

